Eric

Wagaman

Stowers is dealing with a lingering hand issue, which has kept him on the bench since Tuesday’s contest against the Rockies. It doesn’t sound like a massive concern, but it’s a situation fantasy managers should continue monitoring. It’ll be Jesús Sánchez moving over to cover left field with Eric Wagaman in the opposite corner on Saturday afternoon at Steinbrenner Field.

Mervis had an option remaining, but the Marlins will either trade him or expose him to waivers. We’re not sure anyone will be eager to add him. He did have seven homers in 134 plate appearances, good for second place on the ballclub, but he hit just .175/.254/.383 with 50 strikeouts and unimpressive exit velocity numbers. He seems like a Triple-A guy right now. The Marlins will likely use Eric Wagaman at first now, since he was about to lose outfield playing time with Dane Myers back.

Wagaman hit a solo homer off Shaun Anderson to get the Marlins on the board, but it was still a 6-1 game. The 27-year-old picked up two more RBI with a single in the eighth to make it 6-4, but that was as close as Miami got. Wagaman has gone deep four times and driven in 15 over his 45 games with a .253/.302/.398 slash.

Stowers has hit a little bit of a skid recently at the plate, hitting .192 (5-for-26) over his last seven games. The positive is that three of those hits have gone over the fence during that span. It’l be Eric Wagaman heading out to left field during Sunday’s contest in Chicago.

Wagaman’s big hit came an inning after Kyle Stowers tied the game with a solo homer. Wagaman came into the night in an 8-for-46 slump that had dropped his OPS to .648. Still, he built up enough goodwill early that he’s gotten a chance to ride it out. He’s not a mixed-league guy, but he’ll probably rate as one of the Marlins’ better hitters as long as he continues to play.

Wagaman proved to be a tough out for Gunnar Hoglund and the Athletics’ bullpen in what was an otherwise quiet night for the Marlins’ lineup. Apart from his three hits, he also had three batted balls hit harder than 100 mph and it’s getting difficult to ignore his hot start to the season. He has an acceptable .267 batting average and .731 OPS with solid underlying plate discipline and power metrics while playing every day. That’s a worthwhile player in a lot of leagues.

Wagaman’s solo shot to straightaway center field came off Reds southpaw Nick Lodolo to give the Marlins a commanding three-run lead in the fifth inning. He also singled and stole a base in the seventh inning, just for good measure, to complete the combo meal performance. The unheralded 27-year-old is hitting .277 (18-for-65) with three homers, seven RBI and one steal through 18 games in his Marlins debut.

Wagaman was a nice surprise in the Angels system last season, but though they brought him up at the end of the year, the Halos didn’t completely buy into his progress and non-tendered him in November. The Marlins opted to give him a major league contract as a free agent, and he’s opened the year by hitting .260/.339/.440 with just eight strikeouts in 56 plate appearances. He’s the player they hoped Jonah Bride would be, and while his fantasy ceiling is capped by the lack of production around him, he could be of use in deeper formats.

Mervis has homered in four of his last five games but will take a seat with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound. The Marlins will hope that his bat stays hot on Friday against Zack Wheeler and the Phillies. Eric Wagaman will start at first base and bat cleanup on Thursday. Wagaman has some intriguing batted ball data this season and could be an interesting deep league fantasy option with Jonah Bride no longer in Miami, but with Jesus Sanchez and Connor Norby now off the IL, it’s unclear how Miami will set their lineup against right-handed pitching.

Jonah Bride was designated for assignment to make room. Sánchez, who has been out since the start of the year with an oblique strain, is back after going 3-for-10 with a double in three minor league games. With Kyle Stowers and Griffin Conine playing well, the Marlins have Sánchez starting in center field and batting second tonight, putting Derek Hill on the bench. Eric Wagaman, who had been picking up starts against righties as Bride was losing them, also figures to spend more time on the bench again now. Sánchez is a fringe mixed-league option at the moment, but he could be more than that if he’s traded to a contender later on.